diff --git a/apps/darkroom-desktop/src/main.rs b/apps/darkroom-desktop/src/main.rs
index d5b983f..05713c8 100644
--- a/apps/darkroom-desktop/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/darkroom-desktop/src/main.rs
@@ -17,5 +17,12 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         eprintln!("usage: darkroom-desktop <file-or-directory>...");
     }
 
-    dr_ui::run(paths)
+    dr_ui::run(paths)?;
+
+    // Skip Rust's normal static/thread-local teardown on the way out: a
+    // background zbus/keyring connection opened by dr_ui::launch_ui can
+    // still be alive here, and unwinding through it races its async-io
+    // reactor thread, panicking with "thread local ... during or after
+    // destruction" when the window is closed.
+    std::process::exit(0);
 }